This publication contains experimental estimates of the number of wage and salary earners and their average annual wage and salary income for Local Government Areas (LGAs), Statistical Local Areas (SLAs), Statistical Subdivisions (SSDs) and Statistical Divisions (SDs) in each state and territory of Australia. A series of detailed tables for the wage and salary earner population, including cross tabulations by variables such as sex, age, occupation, wage and salary income and total income, are available in ABS cat. no. 5673.0.55.001.

The estimates presented build on the statistics previously published in "Information Paper: Use of Individual Income Tax Data for Regional Statistics, Experimental Estimates for Small Areas, 1995-96 to 1996-97" (also ABS cat. no. 5673.0) by adding data for subsequent years, i.e. 1997-98 and 1998-99.

These estimates have been compiled from aggregated individual income tax data obtained from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) as part of an ABS commitment to increase the availability of regional statistical information with the use of administrative data held by other government agencies. All data used to compile these statistics have been provided to the ABS in aggregated form only at the SLA level. No information about individual taxpayers has been released to the ABS. The ABS wishes to acknowledge the support the ATO has provided in compiling the statistics presented in this publication.

The previously published Information Paper contains the complete details of the methodology used to compile these statistics, lists the data items and tables that have been produced to date and highlights comparisons with other data sources.